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What does auto- mean in medical terms?
auto-
Meaning: self
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what auto- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using auto-
autoimmune
auto- (self) + immune (immune system) = relating to an immune response against the body's own tissues
auto- (self) + immune (immune system) = relating to an immune response against the body's own tissues
autograft
auto- (self) + graft (transplanted tissue) = a graft taken from the person's own body
auto- (self) + graft (transplanted tissue) = a graft taken from the person's own body
autonomic
auto- (self) + nom (law, rule) + ic (relating to) = self-governing, acting involuntarily
auto- (self) + nom (law, rule) + ic (relating to) = self-governing, acting involuntarily
Shortened forms
Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.
Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.